According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 230 habitat conservation
plans (HCPs) have been developed since 1992, encompassing nearly 12 million acres of
endangered species habitat. Relatively little has been produced that describes the actual
steps or processes that have been utilized in the development of HCPs and associated
conservation plans. In 1998, the National Center for Environmental Decision-making
Research conducted 124 interviews of conservation planning participants and produced
summaries of the processes used in the development of 31 plans. While analysis of these
summaries and interviews is ongoing, we present here five initial process components: type
of permit applicant, role of the administering Federal agencies, participation in
planning, decision-making process design, and management and review of technical data. Our
discussion of these components raise a number of questions that must be addressed in order
to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of individual planning processes, endangered
species policy, and other efforts to balance private economic interests with conservation
of the environment.